Elegant and stylish they are an excellent king which I love. W
e had range of ages (including bumps) and a variety of different styles of ring slings ( and lots of cake)
The North East Sling Library |
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On Satuday we ran our second ever master class, this time focusing on ring slings. I like ring slings. I never used to but after doing Trageschule foundation course they just clicked. Ring slings look easy but they take a lot of time to get right. But once you have found the sweet spot they are brilliant from teeny tiny babies up to big kids.
Elegant and stylish they are an excellent king which I love. W e had range of ages (including bumps) and a variety of different styles of ring slings ( and lots of cake)
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The photo above is almost a year old. It was taken on 9th Janaury 2012. I know the exact date as it was Henry's 2nd birthday and I was 24 weeks pregnant.
But why does it stick in my mind. Well approximately 3 hours later I felt an unbelievable, stabbing like pain in my lower back. I literally thought someone had stabbed me, in fact I had prolapsed a disc (slipped disc) in my lower back and over the hours that followed I lost all the feeling in my left leg. I thought my carrying days were over. What I didn't know was that carrying Henry could actually help cure my back. I couldn't lift him for several weeks and I spent the next 5 weeks dosed up on different combinations of painkillers, including codeine and morphine. My midwife was wonderful and managed to get me an emergency physiotherapy appointment and this was where I learnt my carrying days were not over, I simply needed to readjust and adapt how I carried Henry. My physio gave me several exercises designed to increase the arch in my lower spine and help the disc migrate back into place naturally (my growing bump also helped) . I had said to her that I was upset that I could no longer carry Henry but she said 'why ever not?'. Carrying a 2.5 stone 2 year old high on your back I have now discovered is excellent at getting your back to curve the right way. Front carrying was out as it would have changed the way my back curved but high back carries were in. Yes it hurt to start with. Yes I couldn't put him on my back myself to start with and needed my husband to lift him up there. I started off small, 2minutes at a time and slowly over about 5 weeks built it back up. The day I managed a 20 minute dog walk was a massive achievement. And my physio could see the benefit of my work each week and I was able to carry Henry right up to the day before I gave birth. 11 months later I have just been discharged by the physio. I am regularly carry Isaac and on odd occasions still carrying Henry. I have even tandem carried on a couple of occasions.Having a bad back DOES NOT MEAN YOU CANNOT BABYWEARER. It simply means you need to readjust. But please speak to your GP, physio or chiropractor. I am not medically trained and have aimy given you what I did. I adapted by avoiding buckle carriers which sit low on my waist and put pressure on my lower spine and opted for high back carries with mei tais and also wrapped a lot as the passes are nice and wide and supportive. Once I knew where the exact problem was I knew where to avoid and worked to find solutions which means I can carry and comfort my children without endangering my back again. I will be back to add some more but wanted to get this uploaded.
I have recently run, in conjunction with another consultant (Helen, pictured with the blue jpmbb), a stretchy wrap and newborn wrapping master class. I find the library can be a scary environment for bumps so wanted something that focused entirely on newborns and bumps. When I mentioned I was running a stretchy master class to the ladies at the Newcastle SlingMeet one mum asked me if it really was necessary to spend 90 minutes learning to use one. The answer was definitely yes, we even over ran.
Stretchy wraps are often a mums first experience of a sling so it is important to get it right. I have written a lot about stretchy wraps. My article stretchy wraps are not all created equal can be read by following this link http://www.naturalmamas.co.uk/articles/not-all-stretchy-wraps-are-created-equal/.
Stretchy wraps are fundamentally the same in the fact they are a long piece of fabric with some stretch. But they are also all so different. Photo instructions, written instructions, videos can help but they don't solve the niggles that can only be spotted and worked in with someone who knows what they are doing. Instructions don't give you explanations of the differences in elasticity, stretch, or how right to tie it. At our master class we had 3 bumps, 3 squishes and a daddy learning how to wrap. Some liked the woven wraps, some the stretchy but it allowed them to learn the basics in a calm and focused on them environment. Plus we had cake! (Can you spot a theme to NESL events?) We hired out 3 wraps, including the Calin bleu fleece ready to go in a hospital bag. After the session me and my boys went for lunch in Durham and even spotted the library JPMBB still being used and the pram being used for shopping.
So if looking at buying or trying a stretchy do not assume they are all the same. Ask for help if it isn't working for you. Also don't forget that the basic Pocket Wrap Cross Carry is included in all manufacturers instructions. They just call it different names. Top tips. *Tie the wrap bandage right. With most you don't need to leave space for baby. It is stretchy for a reason. *Always follow the TICKS guidelines. *All wraps not the same. If one doesn't work for you try another. I loved running this session and loved the comments I have received from the people who attended.
I am now planning a class focused on ring slings on 23rd March as they can be equally as challenging as stretchy wraps. Some feedback from people who came to the stretchy class:
Rachel C said after coming to the class "I'm so confident I've ditched the pushchair". Kirsty R sent me this fantastic feedback and lovely photo of her little girl, Sophie. " Me and Sophie (now 17 weeks and 15lbs 2oz) have struggled to wrap wovens comfortably in the past and so found the class an excellent step back to basics. Without the masterclass I would never have tried a stretchy, fearful that Sophie would be too heavy but it is much more forgiving than a woven. Despite my doubts before the class we hired the Boba stretchy afterwards and absolutely love it. So much that we're thinking of getting a stretchy before a woven. Its also more comfortable than my connecta, making it a lifesaver for our recent train and tube adventure in central London! Being able to stretch and try the different wraps also allowed us to find the stretchy most suitable for us which was the last one I would have expected" And finally Michelle F sent this photo with the caption "sleeping baby = happy mummy".
If you came and you want to add your feedback too, just comment below.
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AuthorI'm Rachel, an experienced babywearer and consultant. In July 2011 I decided to establish the NESL to help the NE to carry their babies big and small. I'm mama to Henry (5yrs) and Isaac (2yr). Archives
February 2015
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